U.S. Stocks Open Sharply Lower; Dow Drops 342 Points

U.S. stocks opened sharply lower Friday, as oil prices resumed their slide, tumbling below $30. The S&P 500 opened with the biggest loss since late August, while the Dow industrials opened with a 300-point drop. The main indexes erased all of their gains from the previous session. The S&P 500 opened 43 points, or 2.2%, lower at 1,879. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 342 points, or 2.2%, to 16,064. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq Composite began the day down 144 points, or 3.12%, at 4,471.